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Headlines archive

2007

12/18/07

Wisconsin Court System receives grant on Effective Justice Strategies
The Wisconsin Court System has been awarded a $573,000 grant over the next two and a half years to help research and develop the most promising strategies for improving the effectiveness of the state's criminal justice system.
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12/10/07

Supreme Court unanimously backs realistic, meaningful public campaign financing for Supreme Court Justices
Madison, Wis. -- On Dec. 10, 2007, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices signed letters sent to legislators and Gov. Jim Doyle indicating unanimous support for the concept of realistic, meaningful public financing for Supreme Court elections. The letter is part of the Court's continuing commitment to maintain a fair, neutral, impartial, and non-partisan Wisconsin judiciary and to preserve the courts as an impartial forum for resolving disputes.
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12/03/07

New, simpler court forms now available for small claims
New court forms designed for people who are representing themselves in small claims actions are now available to the public. The forms are accompanied by plain-English instructions and are available both on the web and in hard copy.
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11/28/07

Justice Ziegler's formal investiture is set
Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler will be formally sworn in as a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday, Nov. 30, 2007, at 4 p.m. in the Assembly Chamber, located on the second floor of the Capitol's West Wing. Retired Justice Jon P. Wilcox will administer the oath of office.
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11/12/07

Supreme Court accepts four new cases
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has voted to accept seven new cases. The Court also acted to deny review in a number of cases. The case numbers, issues, and counties of origin are listed below. Court of Appeals opinions/certification memos that are available online for the newly accepted cases are hyperlinked.
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10/25/07

Supreme Court accepts seven new cases
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has voted to accept seven new cases. The Court also acted to deny review in a number of cases. The case numbers, issues, and counties of origin are listed below. Court of Appeals opinions/certification memos that are available online for the newly accepted cases are hyperlinked.
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10/17/07

Chief Justice: Courts must 'think local'
Addressing the state’s judges, who are gathered here for the two-day Wisconsin Judicial Conference, Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson today delivered her State of the Judiciary Address, calling for the creation of locally devised and administered programs rather than “sweeping statewide solutions” to justice issues.
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10/11/07

Supreme Court accepts 16 new cases
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has voted to accept 16 new cases. The Court also acted to deny review in a number of cases. The case numbers, issues, and counties of origin are listed below. Court of Appeals opinions/certification memos that are available online for the newly accepted cases are hyperlinked.
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09/25/07

Redistricting report submitted - Court invites written comment
On November 25, 2003, this court appointed a committee to review legislative redistricting in Wisconsin, to review this court's decision in Jensen, et. al. v. Wisconsin Election Board, et. al., 2002 WI 13, 249 Wis. 2d 706, 639 N.W.2d 537, along with rules and procedures of other jurisdictions, and to propose procedural rules. On September 21, 2007, the committee submitted its proposal, which the court has not yet reviewed. The court invites written comment to the report during the next 40 days. After receipt of comments, the court will decide how to proceed further.
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09/21/07

Public library initiative to help serve needs of self-represented litigants
On September 27 in Neillsville, the Wisconsin Court System and the Wisconsin Valley Library Service will co-sponsor a special training session for librarians who provide assistance to people who represent themselves in court.
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State court officials send warning on jury-duty scam
Wisconsin residents are being warned not to give out personal information to people who may be posing as court officials.
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08/21/07

Supreme Court accepts three new cases
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has voted to accept three new cases. The Court also acted to deny review in a number of cases. The case numbers, issues, and counties of origin are listed below. Court of Appeals opinions/certification memos that are available online for the newly accepted cases are hyperlinked.
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08/14/07

First phase of Effective Justice Strategies report available
The Supreme Court Planning and Policy Advisory Committee's Effective Justice Strategies Subcommittee presented its Phase I report to the committee on August 9.
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08/07/07

Ptacek is 'chief of the chiefs'
Wisconsin’s Committee of Chief Judges unanimously elected Chief Judge Gerald P. Ptacek, Racine County Circuit Court, as ‘chief of the chiefs’ at its August meeting. In this capacity, Ptacek will serve as chair of the group. He replaces Chief Judge Michael N. Nowakowski, Dane County Circuit Court, who continues to serve as a judge but completed his service on the committee.
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07/31/07

Court interpreter training planned for Wausau, Madison
The Director of State Courts Office is accepting applications for interpreter training sessions to be held in Wausau. The sessions are for individuals who are interested in learning the fundamentals of court interpreting and are designed to give participants an overview of the needs and expectations of the court with emphasis on ethical conduct, legal terminology, court procedure, and basic legal interpreting skills.
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07/10/07

Six retired judges prepare for service on new Government Accountability Board
Six retired Wisconsin judges will serve the state in a new capacity as the first members of the Government Accountability Board (GAB), which will replace the state Elections Board and Ethics Board. The Wisconsin Legislature has now officially confirmed all six to the new board.
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06/25/07

Supreme Court accepts five new cases
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has voted to accept five new cases. The Court also acted to deny review in a number of cases. The case numbers, issues, and counties of origin are listed below. Court of Appeals opinions/certification memos that are available online for the newly accepted cases are hyperlinked.
Read more.

06/14/07

First-ever statewide pro se conference set
Court officials from across Wisconsin will gather in Wausau on June 19 to discuss the best methods for the state court system to provide services for people who represent themselves in court.
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06/12/07

Butler receives honorary doctorate from Lawrence University
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Louis B. Butler Jr. was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Lawrence University at the June 10 commencement ceremony in Appleton.
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05/30/07

Supreme Court accepts five new cases
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has voted to accept five new cases. The Court also acted to deny review in a number of cases. The case numbers, issues, and counties of origin are listed below. Court of Appeals opinions/certification memos that are available online for the newly accepted cases are hyperlinked.
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05/23/07

Chief Justice awarded 15th honorary doctorate of law degree
Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson received an honorary doctorate of law degree from Roger Williams University’s Ralph R. Papitto School of Law on May 18 in Bristol, R.I.
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05/08/07

Justice Louis B. Butler, Jr. to keynote UW Law School ceremony
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Louis B. Butler Jr. will be the keynote speaker at the University of Wisconsin Law School’s 2007 "Presentation of the Colors" ceremony May 18 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison.
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05/03/07

Supreme Court accepts twelve new cases
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has voted to accept twelve new cases. The Court also acted to deny review in a number of cases. The case numbers, issues, and counties of origin are listed below. Court of Appeals opinions/certification memos that are available online for the newly accepted cases are hyperlinked.
Read more.

04/30/07

Brown will be Court of Appeals' chief judge
Judge Richard S. Brown, an Oconomowoc resident who has served on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals since 1978, has been named chief judge of the state's intermediate appeals court. He will begin his three-year term on August 1.
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04/13/07

Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan S. Heffernan remembered
Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan S. Heffernan died Friday, April 13, 2007. He was 86. Heffernan served on the Supreme Court from 1964 to 1995 and as Chief Justice from 1983 to 1995. His 31-year tenure on the Court made him the third longest-serving justice in Wisconsin history.
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04/13/07

Ceremonial investiture set for Court of Appeals judge
A ceremony celebrating the investiture of Judge Burneatta "Burnie" L. Bridge was held at the state Capitol Friday, April 13. Bridge officially took office on January 12. Gov. Jim Doyle, who appointed Bridge to serve on the District IV Court of Appeals, was among featured speakers and dignitaries at the ceremony held in the Senate Chambers.
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04/10/07

Ceremony at Supreme Court will honor Justice Thomas E. Fairchild
The Wisconsin Supreme Court will sit in special session on Wednesday, April 11 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. to dedicate a portrait of Justice Thomas E. Fairchild, who died February 12 at the age of 94.
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04/05/07

New pilot project to help serve the legal needs of people representing themselves in court
The Wisconsin Court System is launching a pilot project on April 10 in Manitowish Waters and April 11 in Eau Claire to further assist people who are representing themselves in court proceedings. The project’s goal is to foster communication between local courts and public libraries in an effort to better meet the legal service needs of self-represented litigants.
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04/03/07

Supreme Court appoints chief judges
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has selected circuit court judges from Dane, Iowa and Manitowoc counties to serve as the new chief judges for their respective judicial administrative districts. Judges from Milwaukee and Eau Claire counties were reappointed. Terms run from August 1, 2007 through July 31, 2009.
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03/27/07

Supreme Court to consider rules for multijurisdictional practice
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is now accepting comment on a State Bar of Wisconsin proposal to change the rules governing lawyers who provide legal services in jurisdictions where they are not licensed to practice. The Court will conduct a public hearing on this proposed amendment to the attorney ethics code on Thursday, April 12 at 9:30 a.m. in the Supreme Court Hearing Room on the second floor of the Capitol’s East Wing.
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03/21/07

New committee member selected for Government Accountability Board's Candidate Committee
District III Court of Appeals’ Judge Gregory A. Peterson was selected today to serve as a member of the Government Accountability Board’s Candidate Committee. He’ll replace District 3 Chief Judge Thomas Cane, who is retiring from the bench July 31.
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Supreme Court appoints three members to Board of Bar Examiners
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has appointed three new members, including an associate professor of law, a U.S. Army veteran and a community activist to the Board of Bar Examiners (BBE).
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03/06/07

Two Wisconsin judges selected as 'Leaders in the Law'
The Wisconsin Law Journal has selected Judge R. Thomas Cane, chief judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, and Judge Kathryn W. Foster, Waukesha County Circuit Court, as recipients of its 2007 Leaders in the Law award.
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03/01/07

Court of Appeals Judges selected for committee
Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson kicked off the process of creating the state’s new Government Accountability Board (GAB) Thursday in the Supreme Court hearing room at the State Capitol.
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02/26/07

Justice Teaching Institute to host 23 Wisconsin teachers
Twenty-three middle school and high school teachers from around Wisconsin have been chosen to participate in the state’s eighth annual Justice Teaching Institute to be held Thursday-Saturday, March 1-3, in Madison. The intensive, three-day program gives educators a variety of new tools for teaching about the courts and the justice system in a way that is relevant and interesting to their students.
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02/20/07

Chief Justice to preside at grand opening of La Crosse Law Information Center
Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson will preside at the grand opening of the Law Information Center on the second floor of the La Crosse County courthouse at 11 a.m. Friday, February 23. Staffed by volunteer attorneys, retirees, and paralegal students, the center will provide free guidance to people representing themselves in court proceedings.
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02/14/07

Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice and U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Thomas E. Fairchild died Monday, Feb. 12 in Madison.
Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice and U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Thomas E. Fairchild died Monday, Feb. 12 in Madison. He was 94. Fairchild, who served on the state's High Court from 1957-1966, will be remembered as a great jurist and a great person with a good sense of humor, said Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson.
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02/06/07

William E. Hanrahan to be sworn in as circuit judge
The investiture of William E. Hanrahan as a Dane County Circuit Court judge will take place on Thursday, Feb. 15, at 3:30 p.m. in courtroom 1A of the Dane County Courthouse.
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01/23/07

New study: Wisconsin needs 18 additional judges
A new study by the National Center for State Courts shows that Wisconsin needs 18 additional judges to maintain current levels of service in view of increasing caseloads. The 2006 Judicial Needs Assessment, an objective measure of the judicial time needed to process the cases filed in the circuit courts, is the first study of its kind in a decade.
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01/17/07

Supreme Court accepts seven new cases
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has voted to accept seven new cases. The Court also acted to deny review in a number of cases. The case numbers, issues, and counties of origin are listed below. Court of Appeals opinions/certification memos that are available online for the newly accepted cases are hyperlinked.
Read more.

01/05/07

Judge Higginbotham selected for national honor
Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Paul B. Higginbotham has been selected to receive the 2007 Excellence in Leadership award from the Dominion Strong Men and Women: Excellence in Leadership Program, which recognizes African Americans for outstanding achievement. Past honorees include Hank Aaron, Maya Angelou, Coretta Scott King, Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, Oprah Winfrey, and other individuals who have distinguished themselves as extraordinary
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